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Friday, December 4, 2015

Welcome to a special post today! I am participating a bloggers International Cookie Exchange hosted by Sarah from Curious Cuisiniere and Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla. For this exchange, bloggers choose a different recipe from around the world to make and create a post to share with others! This is such an exciting cookie exchange for me because not only do I love to try different recipes, but I love to also try foods from different cultures.

Every year I give away cookie platters to friends and family. There are a couple of staples that I make every year (bisochitos, chocolate crinkle cookies, white chocolate cranberry macadamia orange fudge), but I am always trying to incorporate new and different recipes every year. I also take note throughout the year of different cookies that I can give away as well. So for those of you who want to switch up your cookie platters, this is a great event to get some new ideas now with the holidays fast approaching!

For this exchange, I decided to make Alfajores, which are short bread cookies filled with dulce de leche. These cookies originate from South America, notably Argentina and Chile. The shortbread is made with a cornstarch and flour base, which helps the cookies be light and easy to bite into; the texture of the cookies are amazing! The dulce de leche I used is store-bought, which is a great shortcut for those of us who are very busy especially around holidays! You can also use the shortbread cookies as a base for different fillings... I'm imagining a dulce de leche and raspberry filling, yeah?

I stayed true to the recipe and didn't alter it very much except that I didn't have pisco or brandy, so I decided to use a light rum which I had on hand which was a great substitute.

What cookies do you make for cookie exchanges? What international cookies do you make?

Please check out these other international cookies from these wonderful bloggers who are also participating in this International Cookie Exchange!! You can follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #IntnlCookies, and you can find these great recipes and more cookies from around the world on the International Cookie Exchange Pinterest Board.From Argentina/Chile: Tortillas and Honey - Alfajores (this is me!!)

Place the cornstarch, measured flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk briefly to combine; set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl once with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, pisco or brandy, and vanilla and mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, gradually add the reserved flour mixture and mix until just incorporated with no visible white pockets, about 30 seconds.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a smooth disk, and wrap it tightly. Place in the refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough. Roll to 1/4-inch thickness (the dough will crack but can be easily patched back together). Stamp out 24 rounds using a plain or fluted 2-inch round cutter, rerolling the dough as necessary until all of it is gone.

Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, 12 per sheet and at least 1/2 inch apart. Bake 1 sheet at a time until the cookies are firm and pale golden on the bottom, about 12 to 14 minutes. (The cookies will remain pale on top.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Flip half of the cookies upside down and gently spread about 2 teaspoons of the dulce de leche on each. Place a second cookie on top and gently press to create a sandwich. Dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.